Motion-picture framing



WC. F. JENKINS.

MOTION PICTURE FRAMING.

APPLlcATIoN FILED o'cT 5. 191s.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

DUDDDUUDDDDDQDDDU .nnnnnnnnnnnunnnnn gnwntoz UNITED srAresf PATENTOFFICE. A*

CHARLES rnANcIs'JENkINs, or WASHINGTON, D'Is'rnrcr or commun.

' IIIo'I'IIoN-Hernan FRAMING.

l Specication'of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3,1920.

Applicationnlea october 5, 191s. serial No. 257,079. y

vuseful Improvements in Motion-Picture Framing, of which the followingis a specificatiomrcference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawing. In motion picture exhibiting, the pictures are carried inproper lateral adjustment, with respect to the exposure opening, by thesprocket drums 'commonly employed, but framing adjustment is neededwith,each fresh film and frequently at-other times,

j e'. g. when the film has been inaccurately spliced, and suchadjustment is made by moving a framing member longitudinally of the filmstrip. If any picture is not properly framed, usually all that followare affected inl like manner, until the attention of the operator iscalled to the difiiculty andthe framing member is properly moved. Sincethe need ofsuch adjustment may arise at any instant, the attendantshould bev watchful every moment. The o bject of this invention is tosecure immediate correction of any inaccurate framing, either by anautomatic signal alone or by following 'the signal lby automaticadjustment of kthe framing member, in case the attendant foi any reasondoes not -act immediately .when the difficulty arises. j

The automatic devices are actuated by making small portions of. the filmnear each picture opaque and so locating a selenium cell that duringperiods of the il'ms rest the corresponding opaque area prevents light:from passing to the cell provided that 4the picture is properly framed,but not otherwise. As the pictures are fed at the rate of sixteen asecond and as the period of rest is commonly three times as long as theperiod of motion, the light falling upon thecell during the movements isnot great/ enough to actuate the cell, while thelight falling upon thecell during both periods will so increase conductivity that a workincurrent is therebyset up in a battery signa circuit.

the operator, an the framing member and signal circuit that it willclose` another circuit which adjusts the framing member and cellautomatically.

Such signal calls the attention of.

.. In the accompanying drawings,

' Figure 1 showsymy devices in connection I with ordinary film handlingdevices.

Fig. 2 shows one face of a portion of the film which may be used as anembodiment of one feature of the invention.-

Fig. 3 showsone of the broader faces of a framing member. v I Fig. 4shows the circuits with the motor devices omitted, the signal beingoperated as before.

In these figures, l0 indicates -a motion picture ilm such as is usuallyfed step past the opening 11- in a framing member12 ver# ticallyadjusted by a hand lever 13.

In and near one of the horizontal sides of the opening 11 is secured anarrow selenium cell 14 which extends across the path of the film atright angles to itsmargins. In each interval between the pictures thefilm has a transverse opaque band 15 slightly wider than the cell and inposition to cover' the latter and prevent any part of the projectinglight from .reaching it during the films rest periods, provided that thepictures are properly framed. If at any time it happens that the celland framing member are not so adjusted that the opaque bands protect theformer from the light beam during periods of rest, light will fall uponthe cell continuously, increasing its conductivity and thus causingcurrent to flow -in a cell-including circuit of a battery 16.l Thecurrent so set up energizes the coil of a circuit maker 17, closing thecircuit of a battery `18 in which is included a signal 19.for callingthe attention of the operator to the fault 1n framing so A that hemay'manually correct it. In order thatthe error may be corrected if forany reason the operator does not ,act promptly,

I sometimesv place' in the signal vcircuit a small motor 20 having onits shaft a worm 21.which rotates a worm gear 22 carrying a pitman 23Iconnected to the usual framing lever 13 which verticallyv adjusts theframing member throu h a dlstance, if necessary, equal to the widt of apicture space, and

a half rotation swings the lever in one di rection through its fullangularmovement.

-.Were .the motor to run continuously, the

the eccentricity of the crank pin is such that the opaque areas of thefilm as it may be running after a splicing point, for example, hasbeen'passed. When this occurs, the current through the cell ceases tohold the sig nal or signal and motor, circuit closed and a light springbreaks it in the usual way. Thereafter, the film runs on, properlyframed, until for some're'ason, e. g. another i splicing point beingreached, the devices are again automatically brought into action.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a picture framing member of picture projectingapparatus, of devices responsive to variations of intensity of light andof signal devices controlled by said light responsive devices.

2. The combination with the framing member of a picture projectingmachine, of a motor arranged for adjusting said member, and'meanswhereby maladjustment of said member causes corrective action of themotor.

3. The combination with the framing member of a picture projectingmachine, of

a signal device, a motor for adjusting said member, and means wherebymaladjustment of said member actuates the' signal device and causescorrective action of the motor.

4. The combination with Ithe framing member of a picture projectingmachine,

' -ofv a picture ilm having an opaque area corresponding to each of itspictures, a

framing member carrying a selenium cell in position to be protected fromthe light beam only when each picture is properly framed, a signaldevice and a motor, a source of electric'energy and a circuit includingsaid source, cell, signal and motor, and means whereby the motor whenactuated adjusts the framing member and prevents light rom passing tosaid cell.

5. The combination with the .framing member of a motion picture machine,of a picture film having opaque areas corresponding to its pictures, aselenium cell carried by said member in position t0 be protected fromthe light beam by said opaque areas only when the framing member isproperly adjusted, a signal device, and a battery making circuit throughthe signal device and completed throu h` said cell CHARLES FRANCISJENKINS.

